Archive for November, 2004
So I got mad lucky and was able to snag free tickets to an advanced screening of The Incredibles last night. The senior marketing and licensing manager from my company wasn’t able to make it last minute, so I graciously accepted four free tickets. 
The company does a lot of Disney and Pixar books so I guess the tickets came from those connections and my manager even told me that while he hadn’t seen the final film yet, he did see a lot of the developing stages and early cuts while meeting with Disney/Pixar reps. Lucky bastard! Haha, anyways.. So I got the tickets at 5:20 PM, and the screening started at 7:00 PM, so I tried calling everyone I could think of at the moment who was in Manhattan. Luckily I recruited Pat and Saki and we met up at the AMC theater soon after. But I called a lot of people, like my roommate, friends from high school, co-workers and like my best friend in Long Island, but either people had plans, class, or wanted to watch The OC premiere, haha! After the short craziness and finally getting into the theater and watching the film I have to say, its one amazing film. Not just an animation. Not just for the CG. But one great film, on its own.
I’m pretty sure I would like the film no matter what. C’mon you got Pixar, director Brad Bird and superheroes. What’s not to love!? My friends know I was crazy about Spider-Man 2 (which, BTW, comes out on DVD at the end of this month, hehe!) and I had high hopes for The Incredibles. It’s all because I like seeing comic book/superhero movies done right, and both movies do that - they even surpass and suprise my expectations. Being the longest CG film to date, it really shows off Pixar’s talents, in rendering, animation, storytelling and utilizing the right director. Brad Bird did an awesome job with The Iron Giant and I have to say he did an even better job with The Incredibles.
Yup, another one of Canceko’s crazy praising of, um, something. If there is anything I want people to check out as much as Kim Possible, it is SCEI’s upcoming title Wanda and the Colossus. I have mentioned the game a couple times already on this site and I just have to say that whenever I hear any updates (even if it’s just one screenshot or a small blurb being released, haha), my anticipation just doubles. I can’t mention enough how much I enjoyed SCEI’s ICO - it seriously is one of those games that just gets embedded into your head when you notice all the subtle details and touches to the game. And so far this follow-up title looks like it’ll totally surpass it. Hopefully it gets more distribution and notice than ICO, Sony should really help promote a game like this when the PS2 has just about a year or two left in its lifespan. So anyways, The Magic Box has posted some new screenshots and I think Sony even updated the main game site. Check it out when you can. Cooly-cool.
Halloween in NYC was something. I was able to kick it with some friends (like old CMU buddies Cay and Pat) and check out the parade on 6th Ave. First time I ever been to a Halloween parade, haha. While not as elaborate as other parades in the city, it was fun and crowded. There were some cool stuff to see - like these giant papier mache skeletons (I’ll try and post some pix) and some funny politically themed costumes (it’s good to see Ross Perot still making an impact on people’s lives, haha). Overall it was quite different from the last few Halloween holidays. In college, going to TSA’s (Taiwanese Students Association) Halloween party “T3″ was always the tradition; and last year my housemates and I had a pretty kick-ass Halloween party, with a bunch of us dressed as students from Battle Royale complete with collars and blood, haha!
Anyways, an interesting highlight from this past Halloween was seeing actress Mena Suvari and her husband, composer Richard Brickman, at the parade. At first it didn’t look like her, but then those big eyes she has totally gave it away. I have to say - even if you don’t believe me - shes actually pretty attractive in person than compared to her movies (I know a lot of people are always asking what’s the big deal about her). She is hella skinny and her husband is mad old, haha. It’s cool though that famous people like them still like to go out and about, and mingle. We also saw this guy who we think could have been a paparazzi and was sort of hovering over them, but overall the two looked like they enjoyed the parade. Here is another pic of the celebrity couple.
After the parade we got some food and then chilled at my apartment for some drinks. Also the weather that day was awesome, so it wasn’t too shabby for a Halloween Sunday. 
(Thanks to Kay Matsuda and Cay Yoon for the photos!)
FINALLY! A “special edition” of Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element is coming on DVD. The film is sort of a love or hate thing for most people, but you gotta admit, it’s a wonder to look at. And those who do appreciate it know it’s a not too shabby balance of action, sci-fi and comedy - it just reeks of Frenchie-goodness, hehe.
On the flipside, Besson’s Leon (a.k.a. The Professional) is also getting another DVD treatment. I was really suprised and happy when the first version of “Leon Integrale” came out on DVD a long time ago - just like two years after the DVD format hit the market. Before that I had an import copy (2 copies actually, one from France and one from Japan; yup I’m a dork) on VHS that I put to good use showing my friends in high school. When I first saw Leon back in the mid-90s, I was really taken by Besson’s visual style and pace (which I have now come to compare to a lot of French and Japanese filmmakers of the 90’s - which is no suprise, Besson is a huge inspiration in both markets). I can easily say that it was the film Leon that inspired me to pursue filmmaking (something I’m still trying to get going, though I was able to snag a Film and Photography Minor in college :-P). It also doesn’t hurt that the film introduced the world to Natalie Portman, haha.
So January 11, 2005 is officially Luc Besson DVD Day, when both these special edition DVDs come out. While both have more extras than the previous editions ever had, the Leon DVD has a cool 10-year reunion featurette (something I found to be pretty cool after seeing DVDs like Goonies and Slacker, where the whole cast got back together after many years to see their films again, and it got documented on the DVD). So do yourself a favor and check out these great flicks. I’m going to get myself a glass of milk to celebrate.